Summer Snaps :: early August 2022

♥ Enjoying my walks in the woodland with J, we walk most mornings at 7am and it's such a beautiful way to start the day. The smell of the summer woodland during a light rain shower is one of the freshest scents I know. It's the very definition of the word "lush".

♥ During the extremely warm weather of the last few weeks, I've really appreciated the dappled shade under the trees. Not just the cooling feel of all that greenery,  but the dancing light and shadows has felt soothing somehow.

♥ Woodland walking and a morning coffee - enjoying my daily rituals no matter what the weather. Yes, I do still love a hot milky brew even on the hottest summer days! Mostly I prefer to take time to go out and sit in a café (especially if they have outside tables) but when J is very busy and tied to his desk I fetch us a takeout. I'm still pretty obsessed with these pastel de nata and absolutely love that my local coffee shop sells them and will wrap one up in tin foil for me to bring home with my coffee.

♥ Crocheting outside in the yarden, enjoying the way the sunshine makes the colours of this yarn glow. Gosh I do really adore this blanket.

♥ An evening walk with Little Lady which involved a slight detour afterwards for some refreshments. We went to a bar in town with a gorgeous outdoor terrace and indulged in a pair of very good mojitos. It was lovely.

♥ A visit to the beautiful RHS Harlow Carr gardens, my goodness it was utterly gorgeous there in early August. The giant herbaceous borders are spectacular and I found all the colours really inspirational. It was the three of us (me and J, with Little B), we took a picnic and had a really enjoyable day. I took loads of photos (of course I did) and will pop them into their own blog post I think.

♥ A family walk out into the Yorkshire Dales, well it was more of a hike really as it was nine miles and a pretty tough climb up to the top of Simon's Seat. Walking over open moorland we found enough ripe bilberries to pick and bring home, and J made two delicious jars of jam with them.

♥ This was a challenging but brilliant walk (the four of us on this day) and again, I took lots of photographs because it was exceptionally scenic. Can you see in the above photo, the shadows of clouds moving across the hillside? I absolutely love-love-love when you get to see that happen, I love it almost as much as still reflections in water. I'll try and find time to show you more of this walk very soon.

♥ A sunny pub beer garden in the late afternoon, in the picturesque Dales village of Appletreewick. It was at the end of our long hike and my goodness, it felt so good to sit down and rest our weary feet! From the pub garden we could see the very top of the high craggy rocks where we had eaten our picnic lunch earlier in the day.

♥ The sky in my wine :) tasted soooooo good after such a long walk!

♥ Visiting the market every Saturday morning with J, it's something we both really enjoy and always a lovely start to our weekend. Right now the summer fruits are abundant and we are eating our way through enormous amounts of strawberries, peaches and plums. Our favourite fruit and veg stall has changed positions on the market and is now right next to a homemade brownie stall.....oh.......it's dangerous stuff.

♥ I couldn't resist bringing some home for the Little People and they were suitably grateful for the Saturday treat. They are too sweet for me (just as well to be honest), but I have it on good authority that they are extremely good.

♥ August so far has delivered us the very best kind of summer weather with endless days of hot sunshine and clear blue skies. To say I've loved it is a humungous understatement, I've been ridiculously overjoyed about the weather and just full of summer happiness. We had a stunning heatwave here last week with temperatures reaching into the 30's which is pretty unusual for us up in the North of England. Oh my, I loooooooooved it!! 

♥ Spending so much time outside has been a huge source of pleasure for me this month, from my early morning woodland walks right through to evening strolls as the sun goes down. 

♥ It's 8am in the above photo, and I'm walking into town to run a few errands before it gets too hot. 

♥ On my way home now, just after 9am and the streets are still beautifully quiet. The town seems to be extremely busy this summer with lots of visitors flocking in on market days. I get a bit of a quiet thrill walking around and playing tourist in my own town, pretending I'm on holiday when I'm actually just popping out to get groceries.

♥ Summer lunch in a bowl, full of fresh flavours. I adore this kind of meal and eat it regularly. Raw courgette noodles (this simple gadget is still one of my faves and I use it loads), with lightly blanched yellow beans (a homegrown gift from my friends allotment) and the sweetest cherry tomatoes. Toss the veggies in a little olive oil and lemon juice, then add some protein (cooked chicken and mozzarella this time) then season and add some fresh basil to finish. Yummmmmm.

♥ Finding a shady spot underneath the tangle of honeysuckle and clematis in the back yard on an incredibly hot afternoon. Can you imagine how happy I am with all this blue sky and bright sunshine to hang about it?!

♥ Coming to the end of my crochet blanket and picking up an old cross stitch project. This is a Cotton & Twine design from two years ago and I only had twelve little buzzy bees left to stitch, so I got busy and completed it.

♥ Ta-dah! I now have all four seasons complete and really love displaying them on my (dusty) mantel. One thing I haven't done much of this summer is housework!

♥ A gentle evening stroll up on the moors to take in the beauty of the heather while at its peak. Oh, it's ridiculously stunning up on those hilltops at this time of year, just breath taking scenery in every direction. It was around 8pm in the above photo and the sun was almost ready to sink below the horizon - yes, yes, I took dozens of photos and will show you some more very soon. 

♥ This last photo was taken yesterday morning as I was nervously pacing the floors, straightening out the blankets and tidying up random objects to keep myself busy. I was waiting for Little Lady to return from school with her A level results and I was suddenly anxious in a way that took me completely by surprise. My goodness, it was an emotional ol' parenting business yesterday! Thankfully I'm pleased to tell you that she did extremely well, and I burst into tears. She got the grades she needed to secure her first choice university place which is a major achievement......but she has made the hard decision not to take it for now. Knowing her as well as I do, I think she is absolutely making the right choice for herself and I'm so incredibly proud of her. Teenage life is such an adventure, it's a thrill ride for sure.

I hope you've enjoyed these snippets, I'm having the best summer this year, such a lovely balance of all good things. I wish I could find more time to share here, I've literally got hundreds of photos that I'd like to show you - we had an amazing holiday week by the sea at the end of July, and then some beautiful staycation days out (Harlow Carr and our Dales hike which I've touched upon in this post). I'll try hard to make the time to upload some more summer blogs. I hope this season is treating you well, grasp every bit of goodness in each day, there is so much to enjoy.

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Comments

[Ashlynn]

How could I miss this wonderful post. Sad to see summer go but looking forward to autumn nonetheless :)

[Diane]

Thank you so much for sharing the beauty of your surrounding area. A beautiful walk through color and sights. Congratulations to Little Lady on securing her choice. She is smart to not go right now if she is unsure what course to take. So many times working awhile opens them to new possibilities. Thanks again.

[Gwen]

Lovely photo's as usual! Thank you for sharing even in the midst of enjoying life.

[Becki]

Hi Lucy so glad you’ve been having a great summer, certainly loving all your beautiful photos, as always, of the things you’ve been up to. That is such a wonderful colourful looking blanket and can’t wait to see it in all its full glory soon! Huge congratulations to Little Lady on her A level results, all that hard work so richly rewarded. Looking forward to reading your next post, take care, love and hugs Becki xxx 🥰

[Becky]

Congratulations to Little Lady from Mississippi, USA. I love the pictures of flowers, fruit and walks pictures. Your posts always encourage me in my quilting and thank you for that.

[Linda Spooner]

Those berries look like what we call Wild Huckleberries. They are smaller than a blueberry but are great in a bowl with a little sugar and milk poured over. I used to pick them in the woods in Pennsylvania when I was a kid. Loved them. Linda

[CJ]

Well done Little Lady, and great to make the choice to take some time before plunging into uni or whatever comes next. A-level results here too, and he has got into the uni he wants. Just waiting for GCSEs on Thursday now. You've been on some beautiful walks and outings, glad you are having a lovely summer. CJ xx

[Rita]

I must say, I have been enjoying your summer posts so much. With my husband’s disability and an upcoming scary surgery for myself, I have not been able to get out and enjoy summer, not one little bit. So your beautiful summer, and it’s enjoyments have lent me a wonderful dreamy escape! Just think of all those pictures and stories behind them that you will be able to share on those crisp sunny winter days! The best of summer in midwinter! Lol. Your summer post have been a treasure. Thank you.

[Beverley]

What a lovely summer you are having Lucy. I'm so glad the weather is making you happy. Loving the cross stitch-very pretty. Congratulations to Little Lady on her A level results and whatever she decides to do next.

[Elizabeth]

Thank you for sharing the beautiful lush green-ness of your part of the world -- so soothing. Where I live, in Southern California ("SoCal"), the hills are various shades of tawney and gold -- beautiful in their own way, but one could hardly describe them as lush. I didn't even notice the dust on your mantle until you mentioned it, gobsmacked as I was by the pretty anaglypta wallpaper on your walls. Such a nice detail! I do hope you have the time to squeeze in a few more summer posts. I would love to see more on Harlow Carr. Congratulations to Little Lady on her massive accomplishment! Hard to believe she is all grown up and a young woman. I remember when she was really was a "little lady." You and J must be bursting with [well deserved] pride. Off I go; it's time to get ready for work. Have a lovely day!

[Ashley]

I just love seeing all your photos! Such beautiful scenery and I love your crafty projects. Thanks for sharing. :)

[Nora McGrann]

Brilliant again Lucy..
Thanks as always..
Congratulations to your daughter on her achievement.. 😍👏😘

[Esther]

Hi Lucy, I love how you slipped in the word yarden! Fab! Congratulations to your daughter and wise decision to delay, why rush when you don't have to, better to be sure. I know what you mean about being a tourist in your own town! I live in a popular west country seaside town and love to see all the tourists enjoying themselves and being a part of them, feeling like I am on holiday too!!! Looking forward to your next catch up but don't stress if it is delayed, family time first, it is short. Lots of love, Esther.

[Carole]

Hi from Tasmania. I always look forward to your blogs and especially the photo's you take showing your walks through the countryside...and much more.
I hadn't received any Bloglovin' on my emails for a while...not sure why...so spent a good hour today catching up on your lovely Summer snaps...just lovely. Pulls the heart strings as I always loved this part of England and although I live here now, it will always be home. So a huge thank you! Carole.

[Debbi Robertson]

Oh, Lucy, it is such a treat to find another post from you! I usually check daily, and when I find something new, my heart soars! Okay, now I'll go back and read what you've written. I know it will be the icing on the cake of my day!
~ Debbi Robertson

[Jacqui]

I love all your posts you describe everythi g so well and you photos are beautiful.
That blanket is gorgeous and I love the fact you found a previous project to work on!(its not just me then !!
Thankyou x

[Sarah]

What a wonderful summer this has been in so many ways. Thank you for sharing snippets of yours and inspirational textural patterns in the scenery. Congratulations to your little lady 👏👏👏😊

[Geeha]

Congratulations to Little Lady and to her supportive family. I'm sure that her upbringing will give her the ability to steer her own way, I know how difficult it is as a parent to watch your children make decisions, holding back the fears and advice, they live in such different and difficult times. I give my wise father's advice: Follow your star.

[Madeleine]

Yesterday DH and I ended up also being tourists in our own town, London’s transport was a bit of a mess so we stayed local, walked up Richmond Hill, just happened to pass my local yarn shop, Tribes. Of course I popped in, a chat ensued with another customer about left handlers being able to knit and crochet in the usual right handed way, this left hander is defeated by Kitchener stitch and hand sewing though.

The view from Richmond Hill is protected by law, great views, on a good day one can see Windsor Castle one way and the North Downs the other, like Lucy I live in a very touristy place.

[Sue Woodhouse]

Brilliant pics once again so glad you’re enjoying summer. Congratulations little lady on your results and difficult decision making, it’s an anxious time for all of you. Am looking forward to seeing Harlow Carr in a couple of weeks. Enjoy the rest of the summer can’t wait to see more of the new blanket x

[Michele]

I do love the photos and the blanket colors are just beautiful. "the sky in my wine" absolutely beautiful :)

[Hedy]

Your post was wonderful as usual. I love all your pictures of York. I live in a very busy city smack dab in the center of the US and it’s been very hot. Luckily for us, the really hot weather has moved away and we are enjoying the last of the summer very comfortably now. Congratulations to Little Lady on her school exams and good luck in whatever she chooses to do in the future. Keep on sending us the beautiful pictures and posts about what is going on in your world, we so enjoy it.

[Peter Dennis]

I feel so privileged being able to read Lucy's wonderful posts and it brightens up my day no end. What an absolute treat. Sure makes the worries of the world seem inconsequential. Thankyou Lucy!

[Angela]

So glad to hear you are having such a wonderful summer! Oh the heather looks absolutely beautiful, what a colour! We don’t get heather growing naturally in NZ so I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. I’ve only ever seen pictures of it.

I would really love to know how you mounted your beautiful embroidery? I tried to enlarge the photo but couldn’t really see how you did it. It doesn’t look like it’s in a frame, or is it? Thank you so much for another lovely blog post. It really takes me away to another world for 10 mins! Now I have to get back to reality and go and clean my bathroom! Thank you again! Angela xx

[Sal]

Big congratulations to Little Lady, well done x I wish her all the best with her next steps in life xxxx